Cost of Living Comparison Between Song Be and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Song Be and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in Song Be versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Song Be versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,825 in Song Be versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Song Be costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Song Be 40% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₫55.8K

$4.41 ฿147

-51.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫594.3K

$32.26 ฿1,074

-29.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫121.5K

$8.93 ฿297

-47.70%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₫47.9K

$2.90 ฿96.4

-36.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$0.88 ฿29.30

-40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,280

$0.48 ฿16.01

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₫29.3K

$2.35 ฿78.3

-51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₫41.7K

$3.72 ฿124

-56.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫43.1K

$1.87 ฿62.1

-11.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.6K

$1.47 ฿48.81

-27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.55 ฿51.7

-32.90%

Eggs

$1.56 ₫40.6K

$2.10 ฿70.0

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ₫318.4K

$19.59 ฿652

-37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 ₫93.5K

$3.42 ฿114

4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 ₫269.7K

$11.38 ฿379

-8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 ₫82.4K

$2.98 ฿99.3

6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.3K

$1.68 ฿56.1

-23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.8K

$2.21 ฿73.5

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.9K

$2.16 ฿72.0

-44.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.3K

$1.52 ฿50.8

-21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.34 ฿44.55

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫19.1K

$1.13 ฿37.57

-35.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫13.1K

$0.55 ฿18.19

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.21 ₫31.5K

$4.26 ฿142

-71.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 ₫332.2K

$19.09 ฿635

-33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.6K

$1.78 ฿59.2

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₫38.4K

$2.78 ฿92.6

-47.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,278

$2.23 ฿74.2

-85.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.53 ₫169.8K

$22.74 ฿757

-71.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$3.03 ฿101

-75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₫15.8K

$1.02 ฿34.06

-40.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ₫79.2K

$3.89 ฿130

-21.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₫22.4K

$1.49 ฿49.63

-42.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.2K ₫812.9M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

17.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.8K ₫801.3M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

13.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$101 ₫2.6M

$102 ฿3,411

-0.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.93 ₫154.3K

$11.33 ฿377

-47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.10 ₫262.8K

$17.40 ฿579

-41.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.32 ₫580.8K

$52.1 ฿1,734

-57.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.76 ₫201.9K

$11.07 ฿369

-29.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 ₫92.2K

$7.69 ฿256

-53.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$164 ₫4.3M

$561 ฿18.7K

-70.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₫594.5M

$11.5K ฿383.0K

98.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 ₫1.3M

$63.0 ฿2,098

-19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.40 ₫895.1K

$29.52 ฿983

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 ₫2.4M

$98.0 ฿3,263

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 ₫2.4M

$88.5 ฿2,946

4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 ₫10.7M

$738 ฿24.6K

-44.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 ₫7.2M

$482 ฿16.1K

-42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₫19.7M

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 ₫15.9M

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-49.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,815 ₫73.3M

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-22.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,320 ₫34.3M

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-49.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

5.57

55.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Song Be: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $412 in Song Be and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Song Be vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $274 per month, with Song Be cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Song Be vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Song Be is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,227 in Song Be and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $412 in Song Be versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Song Be versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $818 in Song Be versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Song Be but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Song Be the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Song Be is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Song Be and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Song Be gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.